Paul Rusesabagina, a fierce opponent of President Paul Kagame and hero of the movie ‘Hotel Rwanda’, was released late Friday after more than 900 jailed in his country.
The 68-year-old opposition figure was released after his 25-year prison sentence on “terrorism” charges was commuted, the Rwandan government announced.
Rusesabagina, who has Belgian citizenship and permanently resides in the United States, moved to the residence of the Qatari ambassador in Kigali before traveling to the North American country.
US President Joe Biden hailed Rusesabagina’s release, calling it a “happy outcome.”
“Paul’s family is eager to welcome him back to the United States, and I share his joy at today’s good news,” the president said in a White House statement.
Rusesabagina is credited with turning a hotel into a shelter that saved 1,200 people during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
During that massacre some 800,000 people died, most of them ethnic Tutsi, but also moderate Hutus. His story inspired the film ‘Hotel Rwanda’, nominated for an Oscar in 2004, which gave him a lot of notoriety.
His family claims that he was convinced to return to Rwanda, where he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The sentence “was commuted by presidential order,” government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said.
But Makolo added that “under Rwandan law, commuting the sentence does not extinguish the underlying sentence.”
The sentences of 18 other people convicted on “terrorism” charges were also commuted, the spokeswoman said, noting the role of the United States and Qatar in resolving the matter.
Rusesabagina was jailed after a trial that his supporters criticized as a “sham” riddled with irregularities.
The former hotel manager was accused of supporting the National Liberation Front (FLN), an insurgent group blamed for attacks in Rwanda in 2018 and 2019.
He denies any connection to the attacks, but is one of the founders of the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), an opposition group considered to have the FLN as its armed wing.
His family has long warned that Rusesabagina’s health is deteriorating, saying they feared he might die in prison. His environment celebrated his release.
“We are pleased with the news of his release. The family hopes to be able to meet him soon,” his entourage said in a statement.
The Rwandan government said it hoped the release of the opponent will help improve relations with the United States, which has expressed concern over Kigali’s alleged support for rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“This is the result of a shared desire to restore US-Rwanda relations,” Kagame’s press secretary, Stephanie Nyombayire, said on Twitter. She added that Rwanda and Qatar’s close relationship was a “key” factor.
Rusesabagina’s family accused the Rwandan authorities of torturing him during his 939 days in prison.
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